Midnight came and went, and Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks appear to be at a stalemate regarding a contract extension for the star quarterback.
It’s possible we will hear that an agreement actually was reached, or that Wilson and his camp are planning to extend his arbitrary deadline date. For now though, negotiations appear to be over between the two sides.
Of course, this isn’t the end for Wilson and the Seahawks. He is under contract through the 2019 season, and can be franchise tagged in both 2020 and 2021. So while a trade could be coming, the Seahawks still have plenty of leverage in this scenario.
So what’s next? Well, Seattle has three big-time performers who are also looking for contract extensions in the next calendar year: Bobby Wagner, Frank Clark and Jarran Reed.
Will Wilson potentially going year-to-year make it easier for Seattle to secure long-term extensions for the trio, or will it make Seahawks general manager John Schneider more concerned about money, leading to a series of franchise-gutting moves?
Time will ultimately tell, although rumors are indicating Seattle is listening to offers on Clark. That could mean the Seahawks are unwilling to pay the $20+ million dollars annually Clark’s camp is expected to command.
Wagner seems much more likely to stick around in Seattle, particularly after they inked his good friend and running mate K.J. Wright to a two-year deal. He’ll probably command something in the ballpark of $13-14 million annually, and at age 28 he could easily sign a four or five-year deal.
Reed is the biggest mystery of the group, as there has been very little fanfare surrounding his upcoming free agency. But like Wilson, Clark and Wagner, he is set to hit free agency after the 2019 season. His contract is probably going to be the least expensive of the four, although another strong season next year could push his price up into the $10 million dollar range annually.
It is hard to imagine Seattle keeping all four after 2019, especially if the Seahawks have to tag Wilson for the next two years, which will cost them roughly $67 million through 2021.
Time will tell how many of these four players will be in a Seahawks uniform going into the next decade.
